Network-connected embedded devices are becoming increasingly widespread in everyday life. Common everyday life objects (e.g., toasters, refrigerators, shoes, etc.) are being equipped with transceivers, allowing the remote control of these objects, as well as the collection and remote analysis of the data generated or sensed by these objects. In fact, the term “Internet-of-Things” has been coined to refer to a network of such embedded devices.
With the advent of such technology comes the challenge of ensuring the proper operation of such embedded devices. Embedded devices can malfunction or fail due to a variety of reasons, some being unintentional (e.g., wear and tear, depletion of battery reserves, etc.), while others being more malicious in nature (e.g., a virus that alters a controller's behavior leading to the overheating of a component, etc.).
Techniques are discussed hereinbelow which allow the behavior of network-connected embedded devices to be monitored (with minimal effort on the part of the user), and further allow any anomalous behavior of the network-connected embedded devices to be detected (also with minimal effort on the part of the user).